On today’s podcast, we are joined again by our resident expert in time management Elizabeth Grace Saunders.

We’ve been thinking about how to invest our time, and in the third installment, we discuss how to apply our previous topics, action-based priorities and setting realistic expectations, in practical ways.

Our priorities are things which are important to us, or things we value. We can action these by putting the time in our calendar for them to create a routine. When we think about having realistic expectations, it is making sure we’re living in the limited time we have.

On today’s podcast:

Routines and acceptance of realistic expectations

Identifying when you need more routines

Valuable routines to help you be successful

How do routines help?

Best tips for developing a routine

When you can’t stick to a routine

Divine Time Management: The Joy of Trusting God’s Loving Plans for You

Routines and acceptance of realistic expectations

When we’re being our best self and thinking in a righteous way, we are aware of our values and priorities, and of what’s important.

If we’re honest, most of the time we’re not necessarily in the mindset of “what does my best self-want to do?” as we get bogged down with other things, so our best self isn’t actively present in our mindset.

When we set routines in our best self-state which supports what we want to do, we can make progress to act in accordance with our best self at all times. By setting a routine and adding it to our calendar, that priority becomes a recurring event in our calendar which puts accountability in place.

Elizabeth says that routine comes naturally for some people, but building routines are something everyone can improve on. We can all improve our ability to create a routine with consistent and persistent practice.

Identifying when you need more routines

If you’re living your dream life and everything you want to get done is happening, you probably don’t need routines.

But, if you think there’s more you want to get done or you find things stressful as you’re missing things out or completing things at the last minute, you probably need routines to make things a lot easier.

Valuable routines to help you be successful

Elizabeth says that self-care is essential, and everyone should have a bedtime routine and set times when they’re going to eat and exercise.

She has also found that everyone can benefit from planning a weekly or daily routine to think ahead about what you’re focusing on for the day or the week. This is essential if you have something in your life which you believe to be a priority but you’re not moving ahead with it.

Set time aside for your priorities, find a consistent way to put it into your calendar to move it forward, and commit to it.

How do routines help?

Routines help because they reduce the decision-making process. If you have an action for a priority in the calendar, you don’t need to think about how or when you’re going to do it.

You can also reduce resistance to spending time on your priorities if it’s scheduled, as it’s already clear what’s happening. When you follow a routine, time will naturally be aligned with your priorities.

Best tips for developing a routine

When developing a routine, start small. Only begin with one or two new routines you want in your life and put it in your calendar. Practice it for two or three weeks, and observe what does and doesn’t work.

After you have assessed what works, you can keep adapting and adjusting until you get something which sticks.

Elizabeth says people often try to create ten routines at once or try to train for a marathon before they’ve started exercising, which leads to frustration and quitting. Consistent practice is essential, get a coach in the form of a friend or coworker, and track your progress.

When you can’t stick to a routine

The minimum length of Elizabeth’s time management programme is three months because it’s natural for things to happen and for your routine to start slipping.

When you do go off-track, accept what’s happened, realize that you couldn’t control the situation, ask what you can learn, and think about how you can get back on track as quickly as possible.

If you go off-track for a day or a week, reflect on what happened and start again. Life is going to happen, so understand it, get over it, and get back to the routine.

Divine Time Management: The Joy of Trusting God’s Loving Plans for You

Elizabeth’s new book is about the journey to recognizing that there are things we can do to improve our lives to help us be successful.

She wrote it because she felt like she wasn’t telling the whole truth, as there were times in her own life where her time management skills weren’t enough. Elizabeth admits to misestimating or feeling overwhelmed, and shares that it is prayer which carries her through.

This book is to help people realize they don’t have to be on 24/7. Be at peace with what’s happening in your life, and accept and embrace who you really are.